The Challenge

For generations, First Nations communities in Northern Manitoba have struggled to receive timely, efficient, and easily accessible health care.

Larger communities may have health centres to address common ailments; most have nursing stations to provide basic health care; and some don’t have regular access to health care services at all. Where services do exist resources are often stretched thin, and it can be difficult for staff to keep up with the increased demands from growing populations.

Visiting medical teams and specialists offer diagnoses and treatments, but their ability to help can be restricted by the equipment available in each community. Poor weather can wreak havoc on travel plans as well, delaying flights and forcing scheduling changes.

As a result of these challenges many illnesses would go undetected or untreated, and community leaders expressed the need for their own health care facility to properly support the medical needs of their members.